I was in Leidseplein for the aftermath of this terrible incident. For quite some time after the man was not breathing. I could tell by the way the paramedics scrambled around him that something was drastically wrong. I learned through the person next to me that the paramedics managed to get him breathing again. Alas, it ended in tragedy.

I do believe the city should get as stringent as possible on taxi drives. It's not just the fact that it seems anyone and their mother can drive a taxi (licensing is very loosely monitored) but even those who are licensed are biligerent and agressive.

It is now to the extent that women feel exposed and vulnerable when alone in a cab. The taxis rip through the streets (especially down the canals) at top speeds and seem to disregard anyone around them.

Taxi drivers are a menace in this city and need to be kept in check.

By Grant | July 6, 2009 9:15 AM

Try getting a taxi anywhere within Amsterdam from the Leisdeplein at 2am on a Friday or Saturday - the taxi drivers will not take you - they sit there and wait for the better fares.

I have seen fights over and over in the Leidseplein because the taxi drivers refuse to take people on short journey's

By sean | July 6, 2009 12:41 PM

The way taxi licences are administrated in NL does not work. Too many micro companies with only 1 or 2 cars, willing to take people only to the airport. Very expensive, 7.50euro when you start, in Germany is 2.50. Rarely availble for urban rides, you have to book your taxi 1 hour in advance.
Many drivers are arrigant and violent. The story I hear more often is about somebody who takes a taxi to go for a short, say 10euro, ride. At the moment of paying the drives asks for a substantial tip, 20euro or more, beacuse he usually takes people to the airport who pay much more. The customer refuses and gets apunch on the nose. then police arrives and - surprise - does nothing.

By Massimo | July 6, 2009 1:35 PM

Regarding speeding, how about equip the cars with a GPS-based system which only allows speeds over 30km/h outside of the centre? I realise that the cars need to go slower than 30 in many places.

By Todd | July 6, 2009 3:42 PM

Taxis here in Amsterdam are a joke, a sad one at that. Amsterdam taxi laws and standards should be modeled after the London Taxi service, or for that matter even the NY cabbies.

By Buzzer | July 6, 2009 4:04 PM

An additiona problem is that even if you reserve a taxi they simply do not show up! Especially annoying if you have to go to the airport and catch a flight. And if you call them and ask: "why are you not here", they offer you to come 45 minutes later and call you rude if you decline as this would be almost the time for boarding the plane. Happened to me with Taxcentrale Rijnland in Leiden; certainly not a company to be recommended!

By Thorsten Beck | July 6, 2009 4:26 PM

I got a taxi from Leidesplein Friday night and the aggressive driver must have been doing 100 KPH along the canals. They must kill a lot of cyclists and pedestrians. They all seem like fresh off the camel from some dog eat dog Middle Eastern war zone.

By Steve | July 6, 2009 4:38 PM

I am really scared of taking a taxi in Amsterdam. Whenever I get a taxi I have problems. First one was when I was coming from the airport to my house which costs around eur 40 but the driver asked eur 150, like a flight ticket! When I asked, the answer was there were different companies and all had their own tariff. When I refused to pay this amount, I have been capt in the cab at night which is horrible. Especially the taxis in Leidseplein and Central station want a flat amount 20, 30 eur no matter where you are going. They behave like a mafia or thief more than giving a taxi services.

I believe bringing standard tariffs for all taxis and obliging them to turn on taximeter would reduce these kind of negotiations, conflicts and crimes.

By ozlem | July 6, 2009 4:47 PM

I am a regular business visitor to Amsterdam and agree that the taxi service is poor for a major city. Generally it is fine when taking cabs from Schipol into town but I have had unpleasant experiences on shorter trips from Schipol, caused no doubt by driver having been waiting a couple of hours in rank and not wanting a short ride as a result. I have been amazed at over-reliance on sat-nav for destinations that I would have thought were local landmarks; when challenged drivers say they are new to job.

By Kevin Murray | July 6, 2009 4:55 PM

listen this needs to be strong of it wont work, i was getting a taxi from the station to zeeburg, the swine from the rank infront of Centraal Station wanted 30 Euros, so i walked away and found a cab (a proper one) and paid just over 15, stop robbing and now killing the tourists eh Amdam

By adhd | July 6, 2009 6:13 PM

living 4 years in the Netherlands, I have only ONCE had a normal taxi driver.

They never know the way to your place.
They always drive an extra round if they are sure that the passenger doesn't know the way.
Even if they have TomTom they do not have the updated version with correct routs or the battery is too low.
They sms while driving..

This is so unsafe!

Until the new strict regulations will be applied I highly advice to everyone to get inside any hotel and ask for a cab. Hotels work with professional licensed companies.

By kate | July 6, 2009 6:58 PM

At least half of Amsterdam taxi drivers are thugs. They are seriously incongruous with the image of the city as a friendly and hospitable place. I'm usually the last person to advocate that the city council or the government must do something, but it's time to boot these nasty small-time hoods that are a terror behind the wheel, and replace them with drivers who understand the concept of manners and customer service.

I second the commenter who says taxis in London and New York are worlds better. The difference? Those drivers have to be schooled, and they're tested before they're licensed, and after they're licensed, they're monitored. Amsterdam taxis, by comparison, are a blight and an embarrassment.

By Rogier | July 6, 2009 7:48 PM

Taxi driving is a low skilled job, therefor it is bound to attract less educated people. But there are exceptions. As long as no-one can come up with a regulation that lifts the level to that of those exeptions nothing will change. On the other side cab driving is not a save job anymore eigther. Withness the number of drivers attaced or killed, it is bound to scare off less agresive people. Result: More bullies as drivers. Obviously other factor contribute to the problem as well. For example: having a taxidriver company used to be possible only when you could buy a licence of wich most were owned by only three companies and being sold for as much as the value of a house. Now these licences are much cheaper, but still the taxi sector complains it can't make a profit. How much proof of bad managment is needed? If I could reduce the costs of my company by 1/3 that would definetively result in a profit. And last but not least, as long as clients keep accepting the behaviour of the (bad)taxidriver it is not very likely to change. And how about not driving a Mercedes but a cheaper car? Nothing wrong with a japanese or other german, and usually half the price.

By Erik van Ryssen | July 6, 2009 8:02 PM

Of course the Taxi World have also effects of the changing values within the Dutch Society.

There have been many comments after the liberalization of the licences for taxies but besides that it was/is responsibility of the national and local governments to introduce Code of Conduct.

Both the passengers and the taxi drivers need to be brought under rules and regulations while using the taxi.
As its not only the taxi drivers but also the passengers who choose aggressive attitude and violence against the taxi drivers.
I hereby offer my heart-felt condolences to the family and friends of the most unfortunate individual who lost his life because of a aggressive killer!

By Khalid Ahmed Chaudry | July 6, 2009 8:24 PM

Generally most taxi drivers in the world are scums in my opinion. Only a handful are honest. Taxi problem exist world wide, I've had bad experience in all countries, overcharge, dishonesty, speeding.. etc. Knowing so, I have never taken a taxi in NL thanks to its outrages price!!sure no problem owning a Merc E-class or BMW 7 series with that kind of fare. They do drive like they own the road on highways, never seen a Dutch police stop them either... it's always the poor granny with her 91 Opel Corsa being pulled over! Too many bad boys in the country get to run loose and wild.

By lupolarpi | July 7, 2009 9:58 AM

Heartfelt sympathies to the man who died and the family and friends he left behind. In my 6 years living here, I have taken hundreds of cab rides. Most of them fine and uneventful, but I am very wary of non TCA, Schiphol Service, Connexxion cabs and refuse to take cabs from Centraal and Leidseplein. VERY upset that Schiphol is now run by an Apeldoorn company whose drivers hardly know Amsterdam. Gemeente ! Do Something ! I pay taxes !

By Yaotai | July 7, 2009 10:07 AM

I was taking a taxi from the Leidseplein with my girlfriend, we were brutally attacked by 3 taxi drivers after a dispute in his car. Our driver called his taxi thug friends on his mobile phone, set up a road block, they dragged me out of the car and beat me and my girlfriend repeatedly like animals. She managed to take the key out of the ignition, I took the number plate off the back of his car (for evidence to show Police) and when the Police came, me and my girlfriend also got arrested for criminal damage and spent 15 hours in a Police cell!!! These thugs also stole my girlfriends purse and one of her shoes were lost, to which the Dutch Police were so disinterested it disturned me. It is one of the worst experiences of my life and am only too happy that something is being done; Unfortunately someone must lose their life to these animals before the Police change policy. My parents are Turkish Cypriot and I will NEVER EVER get into a Turkish cab again in Amsterdam after the driver was a fellow Turk and that was the reason I trusted he would get me home after a beautiful night out.

By Can Koray Rustem | July 7, 2009 11:22 AM

This is terrible for this man and his family but I am not surprised it has finally come to this.

I've personally had one taxi driver try to kill me with his car and then get out and use weapons (2 pairs of nunchucks). I've experienced other violent and potentially violent incidents in the past from other drivers. I’ve had other friends who have either been attacked or threatened. The situation has gone way out of control.

These days I will never take a cab unless its one I order to go to the airport.

The taxi system in Amsterdam is a joke. They are expensive enough to start with that I find it a relief to get an honest taxi driver. Yes there are some of them but the shady characters that break the speed limit and endanger the lives of people in the city vastly outnumber them.

I've even had a taxi driver pick me up from the airport (working for one of the better taxi companies) and try to charge me 100 euro for a 35-euro journey, despite the fact that I told him that I do this journey on a near weekly basis. Only when I offered to call his firm to confirm the fare did he let it go and admit that I was not a special holiday day with increased fares after all. I think Schiphol needs to introduce a system like in New York where the journey is registered and paid in advance.

Many times I get in a cab from Schiphol and have to ask the driver to show me the meter as they cover it with something and do not even start it and when you arrive at the destination they try to make their own price. These days I take the tram because it is so much less hassle than the Russian roulette of getting into a cab outside Schiphol.

By The passenger | July 7, 2009 6:03 PM

I see the "race" of taxi drivers creates problems everywhere.I dont use taxis here because they are very expensive, few times only at night but never had extreme problems except from waiting after having arranged phone appointment. In greece they create problems also with the difference being that taxis are 3 times cheaper than here.

By kos | July 8, 2009 10:12 AM

In Amsterdam it went from the TCA monopoly to minor chaos, but it could be worse; think Istanbul or Budapest where I have been in near fistfights.

By Bas | July 20, 2009 12:27 PM